Published: May 10, 2017

Rating: Rated T

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Penciller: Marco Checchetto

Cover Artist: Marco Checchetto

The Synopsis:

“THE SCREAMING CITADEL” — PART 1. Rebel pilot and rogue archaeologist wander side by side into the darkest shadows of the galaxy as Luke Skywalker reluctantly teams up with Doctor Aphra! The Doctor makes Luke an offer he can’t afford to pass up…one that leads him to a very rare gathering at the heart of the infamous Screaming Citadel. Will Luke find what he’s looking for? Can Aphra be trusted? Or will they both wind up victims of The Citadels Queen.

The Plot

A lone figure approaches a Cantina on an dusty Outer Rim planet. After entering the bar we find out that the lonesome hero is none other than Luke Skywalker, but unfortunately Luke is not welcome in the ‘non-human’ cantina and is quickly told so by the patrons.  But before chaos can ensue, a certain Dr Aphra arrives, just in the nick of time with her Wookie sidekick Krranstan who shows the bar’s regulars who’s boss in no uncertain terms. After the melee Luke tells Aphra to leave him alone, until she tells him that she knows the whereabouts of a Jedi Master that luke may be interested in, despite his attempts to cover up his Jedi secret!

On board Aphras ship she reveals the Crystal she took from the ancient Jedi Temple to Luke and tells him that she wants it activated by the Queen of Ktath’atn who once a year swaps favours in exchange for meeting interesting lifeforms, and she recommends Luke!

They make the Journey along with Aphras Wookie and droid companions to the imposing Citadel of Ktath’atn!

The story then moves to a Rebel outpost on Horox III, where Sana Solo has received a holo message aboard the Millennium Falcon from Dr Aphra about wanting to speak to her in person. The message is interrupted by Han Solo, advising Sana that a certain princess needs helps interpreting Luke’s stand in Astromech’s latest warblings on where Luke has gone, the droid finally gives up luke’s location and who he has gone with.

We skip back to Luke and Aphra, where look is getting all dressed up in a Galactic Tux outfit and they walk into a glamourous party full of different species from around the Galaxy. The Queen enters the room and the different parties introduce their odd organic finds from around the Galaxy, some are rejected and some are told to return later.  Luke and Aphra are called to be presented to the Queen, but she sees nothing remarkable in Luke and takes offence at Aphras lack of respect and has her attacked but luke leaps to her aid and force pushes her assailant, which grabs the Queens attention and she quickly brings the proceedings to a halt, telling luke and Aphra to return later. When they have left the Queen instructs her minions to gather her harvest, whereupon they venture into surrounding homes and appear to suck souls out of people’s mouths, similar to those dark things in ‘Harry Potter’ or the guy from ‘The Green Mile’. They return to the queen and give her their harvested bits and pieces like a bunch of sinister soul suckers, the Queen exclaims that she has not tasted Jedi in a long time!

To be Continued….

The Review:

This is a great crossover between the The Aphra & Star Wars comics, with some great tie ins to those stories and this one! All in all it was very impressively done. I must admit, i was a bit sceptical when reading a lot of previews calling it a ‘horror’ cross over, but that isn’t really the case until the last couple of pages and the ‘soul sucking’ incidents. It’s a great throw back including the Original characters we know and love & a few new ones from both the comics, you will have to read the others to research who is who, but it’s worth it!

The art is brilliant, clean & crisp and the story is good and fast paced and leads us on well, although Luke should really stay out of Cantinas!

If you liked the Aphra story arc then read this!